How to Save a Prince
by snapeswidow
Summary: Every Slytherin has his or her dirty secrets. For one Slytherin, though, the secrets are dangerous. Can love survive these deadly secrets?
1. Chapter 1

SUMMERY: Every Slytherin has his or her dirty secrets. For one Slytherin, though, the secrets are dangerous. Can love survive these deadly secrets?

Chapter1

Demetri sighed heavily as she followed her older brother Lucius into Borgin & Burkes for the second time that week. She hated this store with its layers of dust and odd artifacts. Not to mention that the store's owner gave her the creeps.

"Why can't I just go and get my own stuff Lucius, or at least let me go with Dobby," Demetri whined as they waited for the shop owner to come out of the back room. "You know I hate coming in here and I am turning sixteen soon. I'm more than capable of shopping by myself."

"Just like you were capable of following the rules at Beauxbatons? Or was that another Demetri Malfoy that got an expulsion letter?" Lucius drawled.

"That was not my fault!" Demetri yelled, her temper rising. "I told you and the Headmistress what happened, but neither one of you two gits would listen to me!"

"Enough!" Lucius whispered venomously.

"Do know how embarrassing it is that a Malfoy got expelled from any school?"

Demetri crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at him. She had heard this all summer long and was getting quite tired of it.

"If I embarrass you so, then I'll just remove myself from your presence," Demetri replied spinning on her heel and stomping out the door.

Demetri didn't give into the tears that were stinging her eyes as she fled from Borgin & Burkes and made her way up the steps that lead out of Knockturn Alley. It wasn't until Demetri found an empty corner of Flourish & Blotts that she let the tears flow freely down her cheeks.

"Stupid git" Demetri mumbled, wiping at the tears on her cheeks. She didn't even know why she was crying. Her brother had always liked to remind her of her short comings ever since she was little, so being called an embarrassment was nothing new.

Not wanting to disgrace Lucius any further, by having someone find her crying in the corner, Demetri got up out of her chair and went to look for Dobby.

She found the house elf upstairs just starting to collect the books she'd need for this year.

"Dobby, give me my supply list."

"But… Master Malfoy told Dobby to get Mistress Demetri's school things… I must get them" Dobby started rambling, but Demetri cut him short with a sharp look and held out her hand.

"I said, give me the list, now!" Demetri demanded of the elf, slowly losing the little control she had on her temper. "I'll finish with the list myself and you can go find Lucius and tell him I said to meet me at home."

Looking like he was trying to figure out what would get him in more trouble; disobeying her brother or disobeying her, the elf gave her the list and books, than disappeared with a loud crack.

Checking the list and the books that Dobby already found, Demetri went to find the last book on the list. As she turned the corner of the shelf where the Potions book was, she collided with another person and dropped all the books she was carrying.

"Can't you watch were you're going!' she spit out as she bent down to retrieve the fallen books.

"Sorry," was the whispered reply.

Demetri's head shot up to tell the daft person just were they could stick their apology, but the words died on her tongue. The boy staring down at her had the darkest obsidian eyes she'd ever seen and shoulder length hair just as black.

"Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me pick these up?" Demetri asked when she could find her voice again.

Looking like he was warring with the idea of helping or simply walking away, the boy finally bent down and started helping gather up the fallen books.

"You go to Hogwarts?" Demetri asked nodding to the books identical to hers in his hands.

"I'm starting my sixth year," was the boy's short answer.

"I'm starting my sixth year, too. My name's Demetri," she supplied.

"I'm Severus. How come I've never seen you at Hogwarts before," he asked.

"I went to Beauxbatons my first five years, but I kind of got expelled."

"Kind of got expelled? " Severus asked with a raised brow as they both stood and headed to pay for the books.

"It's a long story. How about we go over to the Leaky Cauldron and I can tell you all about it?" she asked with a smile.

"Sure," Severus answered returning her smile

As they stepped into the crowded street and headed towards the pub, Demetri forgot all about Lucius and how furious he'd be when she didn't return home right away.

Demetri cringed as she stepped on the hearth rug, praying that the loud roar of the floo wouldn't wake Lucius.

She had lost track of time while she sat and talked with Severus. She told him about getting expelled and he told her about some of the teachers and classes at Hogwarts. It wasn't until the bartender Tom had told them it was past curfew and they'd better get home, that Demetri realized they'd talked for hours.

Glancing at the Grandfather clock on the way to her room Demetri uttered a silent curse. It was almost midnight.

"Lucius is going to have fit," she said to herself as she stepped into her room.

"How right you are." Lucius drawled venomously as he stepped out from behind her bedroom door, slamming it closed.

"Where were you?"

"The Leaky Cauldron," she replied backing away from her brother.

"With who."

"I was with a boy I met at Flourish & Blotts. We got to talking and lost track of time," she answered with a shrug.

"You get expelled from a school for sneaking boys and Fire Whiskey into your dorm and you expect me to believe you spent all night at a pub talking?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I told you and that damn Headmistress that the other girls snuck the boys and whiskey in!" she yelled, slowly losing her temper.

"Yet, you were the only one in the room, according to Madame Maxime."

"I had just come back from the library when the Headmistress stormed in. The other girls took off so I'd take the blame!"

Lucius snorted and she lost the hold on her temper.

"Fine! Don't believe me than," she yelled. "You can add that I'm a tramp who snoggs every boy I meet to the list of reasons why I'm a disgrace to the family!"

Grabbing her roughly by the arm, Lucius brought her face to face. "You should be grateful Mother and Father aren't alive to see how much of a pathetic disgrace you are."

"Too bad I can't be just like you, Lucius._" _Demetri shot back."Schmoozing with the minister of magic, lining his pockets with our family's money. Not to mention running around with those friends of yours hoping to gain the notice of the Dark Lord. You're the pathetic one, Lucius!"

Before she knew that her words went to far, the back of Lucius' hand slapped across her left cheek.

"Don't you ever disrespect me like that again, you ungrateful little whelp." Lucius spat at her before shoving her away from him and unceremoniously onto the bed.

"You're lucky you're still under age," he threatened, pulling the door open. "If you were of age, I would have disowned you the moment I became Head of the Family." And with that being said, he slammed the door behind him.

With Lucius' words still ringing in her ears, Demetri pulled her knees to her chest and fought with tears that were stinging her eyes. The only thought to comfort her was that she wouldn't have to deal with Lucius after tonight because she was leaving for Hogwarts in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **a big thanks goes out to Daughter of Ares for Lighting a fire under my muses butt, and for letting bounce ideas off of her. Also gotta thank the rest of the crazy People in the P&S Chat for putting up with my constant badgering of "does this sound ok?"... "how does this sound?", ect. A huge thanks goes out to my lovely Beta Lady Lanera!

**Disclaimer:**any and all recognizable Characters and places, belong to JKR! i do not own them, no matter how much i wish i could!lol

**Warning:**The ending of this chapter has CP and an Unforgivable! you are warned!

**Chapter2**

Having stowed her school trunk and boarded the Hogwarts Express, Demetri made her way down the crowded corridor in an effort to look for an empty compartment. Finding an empty one at the end of the train, she sat on the seat, lost in her thoughts of the row she and Lucius gotten into last night.

She was pulled from her thoughts by shouting in the corridor. Getting up and opening the compartment door, she saw a group of four boys had cornered that boy Severus, whom she had met the day before in Flourish and Blotts.

"What are you doing lurking in the corridor, Snivellus? Trying to scare the first years?" asked the tall boy with black hair and glasses.

"Don't call me Snivellus, Potter," Severus spat out.

"Then what shall I call you? How about greasy git?" Potter asked, making the other boys laugh.

Noticing the slight tremble in Severus's arm as he slowly reached for his wand, Demetri stepped completely into the corridor and in between the boys. "Leave him alone," she snarled.

"What's this, Snivellus? Found yourself a girlfriend," mocked Potter. When he noticed her wand in her hand, he snorted before adding, "Or is she your body guard?" Bending his head towards Demetri's ear, he whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, "I wouldn't get too close to Severus's body if I were you. There's not a spell or potion strong enough to get him clean."

Before she could say or do anything, Demetri was pushed to the ground as Severus yelled "_Petrificus Totalus!" _Potter keeled over at once, rigid as a board.

Demetri scrambled to her knees as she saw the other boys go for their wands. "_Stupefy_!" she yelled before they could even open their mouths. They joined their friend on the floor.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked as he held out a hand. "Yeah," she replied, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"You're pretty fast with a wand," Demetri said, looking down at the four pathetic bodies on the floor in front of them. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

Severus snorted, "_My bad side_? You knocked three of them unconscious with one spell, and I'm the one with a bad side?"

"What are we going to do with them?" Demetri asked, trying not to laugh.

"Leave them here. Someone will find them eventually," Severus replied with a smirk.

"Fine by me," Demetri replied. Realizing she never let go of his hand from before, she pulled Severus toward the door leading to the next car, where they both started laughing.

Demetri and Severus were still laughing as they entered the Great Hall and made their way over to the Slytherin table.

"I see you got yourself a girlfriend over the summer, Snape," one of the boys at the table said as they sat down.

"She's not my girlfriend, Regulus."

"Well, then the name's Regulus Black," the other boy supplied, leaning across the table with a grin. "I'll be your boyfriend."

"Sorry, I don't date future cousins," she said with a smirk.

At Regulus's confused look she explained, "My name's Demetri Malfoy. My brother Lucius is engaged to your cousin Narssia."

"Ah, so you're the infamous Demetri that Lucius was telling Mother about," Regulus said with a cocky grin.

"And just what did he tell your mother?" she asked.

"That you disgraced the family by getting expelled from Beauxbatons."

"Stupid git," Demetri mumbled. When Regulus gave her a look, she quickly said, "Not you, I meant Lucius."

"Speaking of family disgraces," Regulus said, glancing toward the doors to the Great Hall. "Here comes mine now."

Demetri followed his gaze and nearly choked as she swallowed a laugh. Stumbling into the Great Hall were the boys from the train. Each of them looked like they were about to keel over at any moment.

"I wonder what happened to Sirius and his little gang of Gryffindors?" he asked in mock concern.

"I have no idea," Severus replied with a sideways glance at her, causing her to snort into her pumpkin juice.

As Demetri and Severus headed out of the Great Hall at the end of the Welcoming Feast, they were stopped by the Gryffindor Head of House.

"Miss Malfoy, Mr. Snape, the Headmaster would like to have a word with you," Professor McGonagall said, barely hiding the anger in her voice.

Demetri gave Severus a questioning look as they stood just a bit from the table. When he just shook his head, she sighed and followed the professor out of the Great Hall and up the stairs.

When they reached the stone gargoyle, McGonagall gave the password and the three of them were carried upward. Reaching the door of the Headmaster's office, she conjured a chair and told Severus to sit and wait for her to call for him. She then motioned with her head that Demetri should continue forward into the office.

As they entered, Demetri's insides suddenly turned to stone. There stood Lucius by the Headmaster's desk, his face a mask of anger.

"Please sit down," Dumbledore said, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk.

Demetri walked forward, keeping her eyes on her brother. She sat in the chair farthest from him.

"Would you care to explain why three students were found stunned and another in a full body bind on the train this evening? " Dumbledore asked quietly.

"Self defense, sir. Potter and the other three boys had ganged up on Severus."

"So instead of walking away, you decided it best to stun them?"

"I only stunned the other three boys when they went for their wands to attack Severus. He's the one who cast _Petrificus Totalus _on Potter."

"According to Mr. Potter and Mr. Black, you and Mr. Snape attacked them without reason," Dumbledore replied, gazing over his half-moon spectacles at her.

"Figures," Demetri mumbled.

"What was that, Miss Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eyes that said he did indeed hear what she said.

"I said, sir, that it figures that you'd believe four Gryffindors over two Slytherins." Her eyes then locked with blue. "After all, you are a Gryffindor, sir."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. Seeing as both yourself and Mr. Snape arrived at the Great Hall no worse for the wear, however, the evidence leans in favor of Mr. Potter and Mr. Black," Dumbledore replied.

Demetri scoffed softly, "You just proved my point, sir. So I take it your poor lions will get off scott free, while I get what? Detention? Lines? Or better yet why not do what my old Headmistress did and expel me? After all, she thought I was a liar also."

"That will be enough of your cheek," Lucius growled as he walked towards Demetri, stopping a foot from her chair. "I'm sure whatever punishment you receive will be fair and completed without further complaint on your part."

Demetri didn't need him to add the 'or else' to the end of his sentence. The way his eyes turned icy and his hand tightened on the handle of his walking stick spoke volumes.

"Yes, sir," she replied, nearly choking on the 'sir'.

"I think that a weeks worth of detention would be fair in this case," Dumbledore said. "So you are warned, Miss Malfoy, if I hear that you have hexed another student, I will not be so lenient in the future."

"Yes, sir," Demetri replied as she rose from her chair to leave. Her steps faltered as she suppressed a shudder when she heard her brother ask for permission to escort her to the Slytherin Common Room. She knew that Lucius was furious and that he was planning on letting her know just how furious he was.

As the two Malfoys made their way out of the Headmaster's office, Demetri saw Severus rise from his chair. He looked like he wanted to talk to her, but glanced away from her eyes towards Lucius. She shook her head. As he arched his brow at Lucius's presence, Demetri mouthed _'Later' _and walked down the stairs, her brother behind her.

As they crossed the Entrance Hall and made their way to the dungeons, Lucius grabbed the back of Demetri's robes and threw her into an empty classroom. She cried out in pain as her hip hit the corner of a desk before she fell to the floor. Her insides turned to ice as she heard Lucius lock and cast a silencing spell on the door.

"Get up," Lucius growled.

Shaking her head no, Demetri scuttled backwards until her back hit the wall. She knew Lucius was pissed and that she wasn't going to make it out of this room without him venting his anger on her.

Striding over to where Demetri was cowering on the floor, Lucius grabbed a fistful of her hair and hauled her to her feet, causing her to cry out.

"Not even a day in a new school and you are already in trouble. Maybe it's time you were taken down a peg or two and learned to listen," Lucius spat out. Dragging Demetri over to an empty desk, he pushed her down so that her face hit the top of it. Demetri tried to push herself up but couldn't, because Lucius had cast a sticking charm on her upper body. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lucius raise his walking stick.

"For your blatant disrespect of this school, its rules, and the Headmaster," Lucius said as he swung the snake headed cane down across Demetri's back, causing her to cry out once more.

"For attacking a fellow student and a member of the Black Family," Again, the cane was brought down across Demetri's back.

"It was the Blood Traitor Sirius I attacked, not Regulus!" Demetri cried out, earning herself another blow.

"For running around with that Snape boy when I told you to stay away from him," Lucius growled out as he landed the last blow. Demetri cried out once more, for this blow was harder than the rest and landed across her left shoulder.

Once the sticking charm was cancelled, Demetri slid to the floor and curled into a ball, letting her tears finally fall.

Opening the door, Lucius turned back to Demetri, "And this is for once more disrespecting the Malfoy name. _Crucio_," Lucius whispered, slamming the door and cutting off Demetri's screams.

**A/N:**SO? what did you think? Wanna kill Malfoy yet? Please leave a review! my muse is holding the rest of the chapters hostage, in exchange for reviews! lol


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Once again I'd like to thank Lady Lanera for the beta and Daughter of Ares for being my sounding board for this chapter. In this chapter we get to see a littleof Demetri's past and some of the reasons behind Luc being a complete Arse! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 3**

Demetri didn't know how long she lay on the floor of the classroom, still shaking from the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse. She knew she had to get to the common room before she was caught out after curfew, though.

Pulling herself up off the floor, Demetri made her way to the door. Opening the door enough to see the corridor and finding it empty, Demetri slid out of the room. She almost sobbed in relief as she made it to the portrait of Salazar Slytherin without being caught. Giving the password, Demetri slipped into the common room, grateful that it was empty. She was halfway across the room when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

She watched as Severus unfolded himself from one of the couches by the fire and walk towards her, a concerned expression on his face. Sighing to herself, she kept on walking, hoping she'd make it to the girl's dorm before he noticed her shaking and started asking questions.

"Where have you been? You left the Headmaster's office two hours ago," Severus asked, following her.

"I really don't want to talk about it right now," Demetri replied, walking a little faster. Unfortunately, the change in pace made the pain in her hip, where she hit it on the desk, even worse.

"Demetri, are you ok?" Severus asked, the concern in his voice causing her to swallow a sob.

"I'm fine, Severus. I'm just really tired and want to go to bed," she replied, not stopping.

"Now, why is it I find that highly doubtful?" he responded, reaching towards her and grabbing her gently by the shoulder.

Demetri's knees buckled as the pressure of his hand aggravated the welt on her shoulder from Lucius' beating. She would have fallen completely to the floor had Severus not gotten his other arm under her.

Seeing the pain on her face, Severus knew that she was anything but fine. Scooping her up in his arms like one would a small child; he carried her over to the couch he was previously sitting on.

Setting Demetri down carefully, Severus knelt on the floor in front of her. He brushed a lock of hair from her face and was at a loss for words. She was passed out cold.

Sighing to himself, Severus went to remove Demetri's school robes, but stopped as her face scrunched up in pain as the material brushed against her shoulder. Drawing his wand, he vanished the robes then gently rolled Demetri onto her side.

Severus swore at the sight before him, a sight he was all too familiar with. The back of Demetri's shirt was bloody and torn in several places, and what little of her skin he could see was littered with already darkening bruises as if she was whipped repeatedly. Severus had to take a few deep breaths as his mind pointed to the one person who could be responsible for this.

Sighing once more, Severus summoned a Pain Reliever potion from his school bag and debated on whether he should wake her so she could take it or just spell it into her stomach and let her sleep.

The choice was made for him, however, as Demetri started to stir, a low moan of pain escaping her lips. Severus carefully rolled her onto her back and rested his hands into his lap.

Demetri moaned again as she opened her eyes and found herself lying on one of the leather couches in the common room. Knitting her brow in confusion, she tried to figure out how she managed to fall asleep on the couch when the last thing she remembered was heading to the girls' dorm. Turning her head to the side, Demetri gasped as she found that she wasn't alone. Severus was sitting on floor next to the couch, staring at her with an odd look upon his face.

"Do you always watch people sleep, Severus?" Demetri asked jokingly as she pushed herself up to a sitting position. She winced as her back rubbed on the arm of the couch and tried to cover it with a yawn, hoping that Severus wouldn't notice it. She knew she didn't fool him when he sighed and handed her a potion phial.

"What's this for?"

"It's a Pain Reliever potion," Severus said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Drink it."

"What makes you think I need it?" Demetri asked in a challenging tone.

"Because you didn't just simply fall asleep," he replied. "You passed out on the way to the dorms when I touched your shoulder. You and I both know you're in pain."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled, lowering her gaze to the bottle in her hands.

Severus snorted. "I'm not stupid, Demetri. I saw the way you were walking before and know you were trying to avoid me. I also saw the blood on the back of your shirt."

"I fell on the way down here, scraped up my back on the wall," she lied, still not looking at Severus.

"Don't lie to me, Demetri. I know that you didn't fall. I also know that it doesn't take two hours to get from the seventh floor to the common room and that the last person you were with was your brother, Lucius." Severus leaned forward and lifted her chin so that she had to look him in the eye. "I also know how purebloods discipline their children."

Demetri couldn't stop the tear that fell as she closed her eyes on the look of understanding and sorrow in Severus' eyes. She had never told a single soul about Lucius' treatment towards her, for fear they would tell on him. But something about the boy in front of her made her want to tell him everything, knowing he'd never betray her trust.

Demetri's eyes opened as she heard Severus whisper "Trust me" as if he had heard her thoughts. She sighed as she made her decision. Moving her hands to the back of her neck, she found the clasp to the pendant that her mother had given to her when she was just a baby. The pendant was infused with a Glamour Charm , and if Demetri ever removed it, the Glamour would fall.

Demetri looked into Severus' eyes once again as she unclasped the pendant and let it fall into her lap. "This is why Lucius treats me the way he does," she whispered.

Severus gasped as he watched Demetri's trademark Malfoy blond hair and cold gray eyes darken. Her hair was now an inky black, almost darker than his own, while her eyes had darkened to a cobalt blue.

"I am the only Malfoy in the history of our family to be born without the pale features that has people whispering we are part vela." Demetri said bitterly, "The first in a long list of shortcomings in my brother's eyes."

"Your brother is a complete and utter arse in my opinion," Severus replied, earning himself a small smile.

"You're telling me," Demetri sighed, the smile disappearing. "When I was five, I was Lucius' favorite target for trying out new spells and hexes once he got his wand. It got so bad that Mother took me to our home in France whenever he was home from school. When I turned eleven, Mother thought it best that I attend Beauxbatons Academy, since Lucius was still at Hogwarts. When Mother died my third year, however, I had no choice but move back to the Manor."

"Is that when the abuse started?"

Demetri scoffed. "I wouldn't call it abuse, Severus. Just because Lucius would hit me for mouthing off, it didn't mean I was being abused."

"What do you call what happened tonight? I doubt a little swat caused you to pass out in pain and cause the marks I saw on your back," Severus retorted, raising an ebony eyebrow.

"Me getting what I deserve, for royally pissing him off and embarrassing him in front of the Headmaster," Demetri muttered, lowering her eyes to her lap once again. "Besides, it was the first time Lucius has ever struck me with his walking stick."

"Once is one time too many," Severus growled.

Demetri shrugged, ignoring the pain that gesture caused. "It doesn't matter, Severus, I'm stuck with the git for another year. I just need to keep my mouth shut and my arse out of trouble, and I'll be fine."

With that said, Demetri stood up from the couch, wanting desperately to forget the entire evening. She was at the door to the girl's Dorm when a hand on her arm stopped her once again.

"You forgot to take the potion," Severus said, nodding to the phial of Pain Reliever potion still clutched in her hand.

Demetri uncorked the phial and drank it, nearly sighing in relief as it took effect. "Thank you, Severus," she said, handing him the empty phial. She then turned and stepped into the dorm.

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**A/N:** Please read and Review. Chapter 4 may be a little late. I'm taking part in a Fic Fest over on Potions and Snitches, and the story im writing for it is due in less than a month! while you wait why not check out some of my other fic's if you haven't already? :D


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